Policy Issues / Big Tech

Coalition Letter to U.S. Senate: Hold All Biden Noms with Connections to Big Tech

Dear Leader McConnell and Republican Members of the U.S. Senate:

As the Senate continues to consider nominees to fill the Biden administration, we urge you and the Senate Republican conference to reject nominees to key antitrust enforcement positions if those nominees have worked as lawyers, lobbyists, or consultants for Big Tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook.

The scale of Big Tech’s power over conservative speech, independent thought, and market access has been chillingly demonstrated by their actions over the last year. These are companies with unprecedented power – the concentration of which is increasingly not aligned with the nature of a representative democracy and a free society.

We support Republican efforts to re-think policies that have benefited and contributed to the growth of these corporate oligarchs. But enforcement – particularly of antitrust laws – will go hand in hand with that effort. It is thus critical that the individuals in positions of enforcement not be compromised by prior relationships with the world’s biggest companies.

The lobbying efforts of Big Tech are well known in Washington, efforts that are only increasing as Big Tech funds political and policy campaigns in its interest. Enforcement of our laws and policies should be above the influence of corporate lobbying. This can only be assured by regulators and enforcers who lack prior ties to these interests.

We urge you, and all Senate Republicans, to hold the line against Big Tech influence by rejecting any nominee put up for antitrust enforcement positions that has prior ties to Big Tech. Such an approach will be critical to the reform most Americans are now demanding, reforms that re-align the relationship with Big Tech to one where the people and their self-government are in the driver’s seat.

Sincerely,

Russell T. Vought
President
Center for Renewing America

Rachel Bovard
Senior Director of Policy
Conservative Partnership Institute

Arthur Milikh
Executive Director
Center for the American Way of Life

L. Brent Bozell III
Founder and President
Media Research Center

George K. Rasley, Jr.
Managing Editor
ConservativeHQ.com

Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation

Amy Kremer
Chairman
Women for America First

Brigitte Gabriel
Founder, Chairman
ACT for America

Jim Demint
Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute
Member, U.S. Senate

Mike Davis
Founder and President
Internet Accountability Project

Mary Vought
Executive Director
Senate Conservatives Fund

Terry Schilling
Executive Director
American Principles Project

Jon Schweppe
Director of Policy & Government Affairs
American Principles Project

Christie-Lee McNally
President
Raven Strategies

Floyd Brown
Publisher
Western Center for Journalism

Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for American Readiness